Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-05-19
~ Weekly Intelligspcer
be foslcoSter Jruelltaer,rek
LANCASTER, NAY ~. 1857.
Julge Cssley Gives Notice.

OU080 V0Vlcy UlVcS NVuVVs
/. Judge Reagan, who was the father Of
- intsr state commerce bill, has lately
declared that the law did not authorize the
oo1nmiasioners to mako general suspen-
'1loa q The long and short haul provision,
1T simply gave them power to make such
bugpension in special cases, where particu.
II hardship might be worked. The decla.
sntion of Congress was that there should
~ b . greater chasge for long than for
3 shorter haul upon the same line and in
the same direction; and this it established
. The law; but gave the commissioners
power to suspend it in special cases where
circumstances might possibly arise to make
! & unjust.
& Chairman Cooley, Of the commission,
~ Just written 70 traffic manager Of one
6 the Northwestern roads. in answer to a
Telegram asking for the prompt making Of
. ogy1er suspending generally the long and
shogt haul clause, notifying him that the
oommision has no authority to make such
suspension and has no intention of doing
a. He makes It clear that he takes the
samev visw Of the subject that is taken by
Senator Reagan, and holds that Congress
Enacted the long and short haul principle
and that Il Is the duty Of the commission
- maintain 1t, whstever may be their own
views In regard toit, or however ipjuriously
n may seem to affect the general business
Of the country. The authority to suspend
TIE law b confined to particular cases
where exceptional harm may be found on
investigation to be done and such suspen
Sion cannot In any way he made general,
OF be broadly applied. The commission
suspendo4 the operation Of the clause
e36umber Of cases and without par.
ecular inquiry, at the outset Of it:
work, because it thought no great haru
would be done by continuing the existins
state Of things for few months and unit
it could obtain clear grasp of the law ant
Of the situation which 1t controls. Blu
Judge Cooley makes 1t clear that this sus
pension Is just for this once, and is not likel.
to be renewed, or again made in any sucl
wholesale way. The railroads have partic
ulAr notice to set their house in orde
and prepare to abandon the practice o
charging more for q less service thar
for Q greater. The inherent injustice o
this practice has never been successful,
denied, though very specious and urgen
pleas arc made by some railroads that they
win be ruined unless they can practice it.
Tho lines running through the sparsely
settled country across the Rocky Noun.
/, tains. are especially devoted to this prsc.
: tice, 1t being their habit to charge those
Who live along their line for goods brought
from the east, the freight charge on those
goods to the Pacific and back again to their
point Of destination though they deliver
them on the outward trip. Such a
scandalous practice ~ this is defended on
the ground that the water competition
from the Pacific ports compels the rail
roads to put down freights to the Atlantic
ports to unreDumerstive prices. They take
: freight from the Pacific coast at any price
that 10 above actual running expenses
and wish to levy upon the local traffic that
h ut their mercy, the amount needed to
pay their interest, dividends and general
expenses. This is very close to the high.
way robbers creed. But these roads being
born in robbery, naturally live by it.